Timeline of Events Chapter 6 – Fingerprints 1750 BCE – fingerprints pressed into clay tablet contracts. 200 BCE China – inked fingerprints used to “sign” official documents 1684 – Dr. Nehemiah: documented ridges on fingertips under microscope 1788 – Johann Mayer: “arrangement of skin ridges is never duplicated in two persons”
1823 – Purkyn: nine patterns described including whorls, spirals, circles 1883 – Fingerprints first used to identify a repeat offender 1888 – Fingerprint classification system still used in US and Europe 1891 – measurements noted on ID cards, and all 10 fingers printed 1894 – Mark Twain publishes Pudd’nHead Wilson novel about a lawyer who used fingerprints to solve a case involving identical twins 1896 – first ten card
1902 – First murder solved with fingerprints 1933 – gangster Gus Winkler gunned down – tried to disguise his fingerprints surgically (unsuccessful)
Related Areas of Science Biology – Skin structure and function Development in utero Chemistry – Chemicals used to recover fingerprints Reaction of skin oil with surface